Lake Forest Dermatology

Heather Downes, MD, FAAD, Lake Forest, IL Dermatologist

Dr. Heather Downes is a Board Certified Dermatologist who has been practicing in the Lake Forest/Bannockburn area for ten years. Born and raised in the Chicago suburbs, she attended the University of Virginia and then earned her medical doctorate with honors from Loyola University. She completed her internship in Internal Medicine at Northwestern University and her residency in Dermatology at the University of Southern California (USC) Medical Center.

In Southern California, she trained under experts in the field of cosmetic dermatology and laser surgery. Dr. Downes believes that every person can achieve a healthy, glowing complexion and age gracefully at their own comfort level. She enjoys sharing her knowledge of anti-aging skin care products with her patients, and thinks it's important that after undergoing a cosmetic procedure that her patients still look like themselves, completely natural.

Dr. Downes has had extensive training in Botox, dermal fillers, and Kybella, and continuously updates her knowledge of new developments and techniques in cosmetic dermatology. As a skin surgeon, she removes skin cancers and benign lesions. Dr. Downes has performed over a thousand surgeries on the face and with her intricate knowledge of facial anatomy she performs all cosmetic procedures herself, never handing off patient care to a less-experienced associate. Additionally, she performs Ultherapy to tighten skin, microneedling to resurface wrinkles and scars, and Vanquish ME to melt fat and contour the abdomen and thighs. Dr. Downes also uses lasers to resurface skin and remove age spots, redness, and unwanted hair.

Dr. Downes also specializes in performing Full Body Skin Examinations to screen for skin cancer. She devotes 30 minutes to each of her patients in order to perform a thorough, non-rushed exam of all areas of the body. During these exams, she uses a powerful tool called a dermatoscope to better visualize moles and suspicious skin lesions up close.

Dr. Downes is a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dermatology.

In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and three dogs, and also supports charitable organizations such as PAWS Chicago and the Anti-Cruelty Society of Chicago.